Bhaga, ngadhu and megalithic altars in the center of the traditional village Bena on Flores island, East Nusa Tenggare, Indonesia.
Wikipedia: Bena Village is one of the megalithic villages located in Ngada Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Precisely in Tiwuriwu Village, Aimere District, about 19 km south of Bajawa. A village located at the top of a hill with a view of Mount Inerie. Its existence under the mountain is the hallmark of the old society who worships the mountain as the place of the gods. According to the residents of this village, they believe in the existence of Yeta, a god who sits on this mountain who protects their village. This village currently consists of approximately 40 houses that surround each other. The village body grows lengthwise, from north to south. The entrance to the village is only from the north. While the other end in the south is already the peak as well as the edge of a steep cliff. This village has been included in the tourist destination of Ngada Regency. In the middle of the village or field there are several buildings which they call bhaga and ngadhu. Bhaga building looks like a small hut (without occupants). Meanwhile, ngadhu is a single-masted building with a roof of palm fiber so that it looks like a shade hut. The ngadhu pole is usually made of a special and hard type of wood because it also functions as a gallows for sacrificial animals during traditional people of Bena belong to the Bajawa tribe. The majority of the population of Bena are Catholics. Most of the residents of Bena, men and women, make a living as cultivators. For women, weaving is still added. At first there was only one clan in this village, namely the Bena clan. Marriages with other tribes gave birth to new clans which today make up the entire population of Bena village. This can happen because the people of Bena adhere to a matriarchal kinship system. This village has not been touched by technological progress at all. The architecture of the building is still very simple which only has one gate to enter and exit. According to the records of the Ngada Regency Govern
Size: 5904px × 3712px
Location: Bena village, Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia
Photo credit: © Bert de Ruiter / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: altars, architecture, bajawa, bena, bert, bhaga, building, buildings, clan, cultural, culture, de, east, flores, horizontal, indonesia, indonesian, kampung, landscape, megalithic, ngada, ngadhu, nusa, roofs, ruiter, society, tenggara, thatched, traditional, travel, tribal, tribe, village
